Cyberattack affects DuPage courts, sheriff offices

Several DuPage County offices were the victims of a ransomware attack, officials announced on Monday.

County officials say the attack affected the sheriff’s office, the 18th Judicial Circuit Court and the DuPage County Circuit Court Clerk’s office.

“This afternoon, DuPage County confirmed it had been the target of a ransomware attack,” Chief Judge Bonnie Wheaton, Circuit Court Clerk Candice Adams, and Sheriff Jim Mendrick said in a joint statement released Monday evening.

“Systems have been taken offline and the County is working to determine the full extent of the attack,” the statement reads.

Court hearings were held in person on Monday and will continue to take place in person on Tuesday.

The county has reported the attack to the FBI and Secret Service.

“Because this is an open investigation, the County will have no further comment at this time,” the statement said.

According to a copy of the ransom note the Daily Herald saw, the attackers told the county that they had stolen files, including financial records and lawsuits. They demanded that the county pay an undisclosed amount of money in exchange for a key to decrypt the stolen files.

County officials said on Monday that in-person court operations were “minimally impacted.”

The DuPage County Bar Association posted a warning to members on its Facebook page Monday morning, saying that Zoom online court sessions were unavailable. It said many cases were being continued, with new dates to be issued by the clerk’s office once functionality was restored. And in cases that were going on, some lawyers and judges were reverting to writing up court orders on paper.

Chancery sales, such as foreclosures, in the sheriff’s office have been canceled for the week.